META-QUESTIONS IN LENORMAND

‘Say what? Questions that draw attention to themselves? That’s Tarot territory’, some would claim, and they may be right. But as I myself don’t get worked up about the differences between the various tools for divination, here is a short take on what we can use meta-questions for. A meta-question is a question that shows self-awareness. It is a question that can reflect on its own status as a question. A straight-forward meta-question that we may pose to the cards can be the following: ‘My question is: what is my question?’ Regarding divination, we can also ask the following: ‘what is the energy of my divination in divination?’ As a friend of mine and a Lenormand card reader, Joeanne Mitchell, puts it, it’s a good idea to ask a new deck about its potential. What can it do?

Here’s a reading about my standard Lenormand deck. The deck I use for most of my readings, the beautifully hand-crafted Lenormand Oracle made in Leipzig in 1982 after an original deck from 1850 held in private collection.

This is what my deck tells me about what it can do, what it is good at in my hands, and what I need to know when tackling it. Such information can be very useful, so try for yourself. No one is going to shoot you for not using the ‘literal Lenormand’ for questions of this type: ‘is he going to propose on New Year’s Eve?’

For my meta-question I used the 9-card carré, but you are welcome to use any other spread. As far as my approach goes, I do what I always do: look at the cards in such a way so as to see how they can consolidate their message into one ‘master sentence’.

Straight off, here’s what my deck tells me (I won’t go into the details of my reading method, but you are welcome to read about that here):

‘I definitely have messages for you coming through all vehicles and channels of transmission, but you need to do some clever work, if you are to decode them’.

Given that there are actually many cards on the table that indicate messaging of all sort, I take this point as an emphasis on the obvious. So let’s try to say it again, now with tagging the cards to the relevant bit of information.

I definitely (Anchor) have messages (Birds) for you coming through all vehicles and channels of transmission (Letter + Rider via Birds), but you need to do some clever work (Anchor + Fox) if you are to decode them (the diamond cluster: Moon, Star, Book, Key).

Now, I rather like the idea that my deck offers some resistance. Looking at the first row, which shows me what’s in my head, I can say that I’m fascinated (Moon) with my work (Anchor) with the cards because I never know what they’ll disclose for me (Letter). But I’m also thinking that I don’t always trust myself to see what I see (Fox knights to Moon). What I’m all about, however, (see the middle row) is to allow myself to be inspired (Star) by all the secrets (Book) that come to me randomly (Birds). What I can control (lower row) is my ability to confront face to face who or what comes to me (Rider, Key, Fox).

What I also like about the overall message of the cards in telling me what they can do for me is the emphasis on the dynamics between regulated and unregulated systems. The Letter depends of the postal service. It arrives if the postal service works. The Rider is a personal messenger. He acts on someone’s behalf. The Birds are free in nature. They are all over the place, singing. My cards are thus with me, in and out of systems of perspectives, and all I need to do is pay attention (Birds) and do the work (Anchor + Fox).

Good point about the cards saying something about themselves and you as well. I’m amused to see how different the lesson is with each pack and how each pack can also enter in a completely symmetrical relation with the other ones. For instance, my other Lenormand packs tell me the exact same story as here where I, as a card reader, am concerned, but another where their own force for precision is concerned. Whereas the pack referred to there teases me and challenges my detective mind, another pack glorifies the snappy connection it has with me. And I love all of it.